Figure 1.--The King and Queen are seen here with Prince Leopold and Prince Charles. The boys wear uniforms rather than their fancy pre-war outfits. Prince Leopold wears an officer's field uniform while Charles wears a Boy Scout uniform. I'm not sure why the two are dressed differently. The boys would have been about 15 and 13 years old in 1916. |
Many Royal families throughout Europe dressed the children in military uniforms. This varied from country to country and of course with the ages of the children. If they were old enough they actually participated in the War. If not they wore uniforms as symbol of the family's commitment to the war. The boys wore both dress and field uniforms. I know of no princesses, however, who wore uniforms. At this time we only have limited information on the princes' war-time clothes.
Many Royal families throughout Europe dressed the children in military uniforms. This varied from country to country and of course with the ages of the children. If they were old enough they actually participated in the War. If not they wore uniforms as symbol of the family's commitment to the war. The boys wore both dress and field uniforms. I know of no princesses, however, who wore uniforms.
At this time we only have limited information on the princes' war-time clothes. We note that the princes were often dressed alike as younger boys. I'm not sure when this stopped, perhaps when the War started.
A 1916 photograph shows Leopold dressed in what looks like a junior officer's field uniform. He is dressed differently than his younger brother. This is one of earlist photographs of them in different outfits.
Prince Charles was 12 or 13 years old and wears his Boy Scout uniform with long short pants and kneesocks. His Scout hat has a thick cvhin strap. I'm not sure why he does not wear a soldier's uniform like his older brother. Presumably the Belgians did not think it appropriate for such a young boy to wear a soldier's uniform.
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